Steam-valve.



No. 734,886 PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

T. J. KIERNAN.

STEAM VALVE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1903. N0 MODEL. Z

l d Z .Jlbrmzz ixto; 734,886.

UNITE STATES EPATENT' 'QFFICE,

Patented .iui 28, 1903.

i THOMAS J K RNA FOOL M ,SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROOKS IMPROVED STEAM vALvn. COMPANY, OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CARQLINA, ACORPORATIONOF SOUTH CAROLINA.

SPECIFICATION formingtpart of Letters Patent N 0. 734,886, dated July 28, 1903.

. Application filed May 8, 1903. Serial No. 156,254. (No model.)

, To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. KIEBNAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbia, in the county of Richland and State of i SouthOarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in 4 to the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in valve mechanism of the Corliss or rocking type; and it consists in providing a valve I 5 with multiple passages for the admission of live steam and the escape of theexhauststeam, sothat a slight rocking motion of the valve will quickly open and close the steam and exhaust ports. The valve is provided with verticalpas sages in its sides and with axial passages at its top and bottom, so as to secure a quick feed and a quick exhaust, more especially a quick and ample exhaust.

2 5 The Valve is so arranged that steam is supplied bothfrom near the top and near the bottom of the steam-chest at the same time.

' The valve is intended more especially for use for locomotive and like high-speed recip 3o, rocating engines or for engines having a short stroke, where it is diflicult to secure aquick enough exhaust.

Live steam under higher pressure flows faster than exhaust-steam at a reduced pres:

sure, and therefore it is ordinarily more diffi-i't cult to secure a quick exhaust than it is to secure a quick supply of steam, and the hereindescribed valve is specially adapted to insure a quick exhaust.

The invention will be understood by ref- .erence to the accompanying drawings, in I Which- Figure l shows a longitudinal section through the upper part of the cylinder and the steam-chest, the section being along the line 1 l of Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 shows a section along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

A represents the cylinder, a part only of which is shown. Secured to the cylinder in any convenient way or cast integral therewith, if preferred, is the steam-chest B, on which the cap Bis secured by the tie-bolts B C and 0 (shown in dotted lines) indicate the steam-passages opening into the steam- 5 5' chest from the boiler.

D represent a curved valve-seat provided with passages l and 61, connected to the ports a and a, leading to the opposite ends of the cylinder. The valve-seat is also provided with the exhaust-passage 01*, opening into the exhaust-passage a connected either to the atmosphere in the usual way or to the condenser, if one be used.

E represents the valve, which is rocked on 65 its seat by the valve-stem, operated by any suitable mechanism for imparting reciprocal motion. The valve E is provided with cylindrical ends E, which bear below on the valve-seat and above on the balance-plate H. The central portion E of the valve is hollowed ont rectangularly, as indicated in Fig.

1, and into this rectangular portion passes the rectangular part- F of the valve-stem. The slot in the valve is slightly longer than the vertical thickness of the valve-stem,so as to allow the valve a slight vertical play therein, (indicated by the spaces e and e'.)

Thus the space 'iallows the valve to open should the cylinder be filled with water and excessive strain be brought on the valve, while the space (2 allows the valve to settle down and compensate for wear on the valve- For convenience in assembling the part F of the valve-stem is made eccentric to the pivots F and F thereof and the part B is slid into the stem through an opening which is afterward closed by the plate B carrying the yoke 13 and the gland 19 The valve .is provided with webs extending axially, (indicated by the letters 2, e, e e e and e which leaves passages 1, 2, 3, 4, at, 3, 2, and 1 in the sides of the valve, as shown in Fig. 1, with axial passages 5 and 6 at the bottom and 5 top of the valve, respectively. These passages in'the side of the valve are substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of the valve.

Above the valve is mounted the balanceplate H, having a passage 7% with a small opening h into the balance-chamber on top of said balance-plate. 'This balance-plate is mounted to move vertically between the guides K of the guide-block K, which guideblock is provided with transverse passages K, so that steam may pass freely from one side of the steam-chest to the other. Between these transverse passages are ribs 7c, in which are screwed the supporting-bolts L.

M rep resents packing-strips placed between the top of the balance-plate and the lower face of the guide-block, which strips are normally pressed upward by means of springs M, mounted in pockets h in the balanceplate H. The balance-chamber above the plate H being connected by the opening h to the exhaust, there will be very little pressure on the top of the said plate inside of the packing-strips M, while steam will pass up in the clearance-space between the guide-block and the balance-plate and will press down on the top of the balance-plate exterior to the strips M, thus diminishing the downward pressure that the balance-plate would normally have upon the valve.

P represents the ordinary lubricating-pipe connected to any suitable lubricator. (Not shown.)

The operation of the device is as follows: Suppose the valve to be in the vertical positionthat is, with the rectangular portion F vertical. At this time all of the ports would be closed. A slight rocking motion of the valve, say, to the left would partially open the exhaust-port d and would also begin to open the top of the passage 3 through the passage h, so that the exhaust-steam would begin to flow through the passage 5 into the exhaust and also through the passages 3, 6, and 4 to the passage 5 and thence to the exhaust. A slight further movement of the valve will further open the exhaust-passages and will begin to open the passage 1 to the passage 03 and the top of the passage 2 to the steam-chest, thus permitting live steam to pass through the passages l and 2 to the port a. When the valve is rocked to the position shown in Fig. 1,. the steam-passages will be opened wide, and also the exhaust-passages will be opened wide. Thus by this arrangement a short travel of the valve will open two steam-ports, one at the top and one at the bottom of the valve, securing a quick feed of steam, while a very quick opening'of the exhaust-passages is secured.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a steam-engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with steam and exhaust ports and a curved valve-seat, of a substantially cylindrical valve mounted transverse to the cylinder and rocking on said valveseat, the said valve beingprovided with a plurality of passages in each side, and axial passages in the top and bottom, a curved balance-plate on the top of said valve, a guideblock engaging said balance-plate, and an exhaust-chamber above said balance-plate and tending to decrease the downward pressure of the same on the valve, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with steam and exhaust ports and a curved valve-seat, of a substantially cylindrical valve mounted transverse to thecylinder and rocking on said valveseat, the said valve being provided with passages in each side of said valve substantially parallel to the axis thereof and extending through the valve-bod y, axial passages at the top and bottom of said valve, a curved balance-plate bearing on the top of said valve, a guide-block mounted in the steam-chest and holding said balance-plate in place, and packing-strips interposed between said balance-plate and said guide-block to form a balance-chamber connected to the exhaust,

substantially as described.

3. In a steam-engine, the combination with a cylinder'provided with steam and exhaust ports and a curved valve-seat, of a substantially cylindrical valve rocking on said valveseat, provided with a plurality of substantially parallel passages in the sides of said valves and extending therethrough, and axial passages in the top and bottom of said valve connected to innermost side passages, substantially as described.

.4. In a steam-engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with steam and exhaust ports and a curved valve-seat, of a substantially cylindrical valve mounted transverse to the cylinder and rocking on said valveseat, the said valve being provided with a plurality of passages in each-side, and axial passages in the top and bottom, connected to the exhaust, a curved balance-plate on the top of said valve, a guide-block engaging said balance-plate, and achamber above said balance-plate connected to the exhaust and tending to decrease the downward pressure of the same on the valve, substantially as described.

5. In a steam-engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with steam and exhaust ports and a curved valve-seat, of a substantially cylindrical valve mounted transverse to the cylinder and rocking on said valve- IIO ing on the top of said valve, 21. guide-block In testimony whereof I affix my signature mounted in the steam-chest and holding said in presence of two witnesses. balance-plate in place, and packing-strips interposed between said balance-plate and said guide-block to form a balance-chamber con- Witnesses: nected to the exhaust, substantially as de- FRED W. ENGLERT, scribed. ADELAIDE B. STELLE.

THOMAS J. KIERNAN'. 

